Students to return in phases from August 31, with full attendance resuming on Friday.
Dubai: Students across the UAE will return to school in phases over four days as part of a Ministry of Education plan aimed at helping pupils ease into the 2026-27 academic year. Full attendance for all students will resume on Friday, September 4.
The phased return will take place from Monday, August 31, through Thursday, September 3, with schools deciding which year groups will attend on each day. Students returning during this period will follow shorter school hours.
All students will return to school on Friday, September 4, following the regular Friday timetable, according to the framework issued by the Ministry of Education’s School Operations Sector.
The plan gives school principals the flexibility to adjust the order in which year groups return or increase the number of attendance days during the phased period, based on each school’s readiness and requirements. Any changes must be coordinated with transport providers to prevent disruptions to shared bus routes.
The ministry said the framework aims to ensure an organised and safe start to the academic year, while maintaining teaching continuity and helping schools prepare for the return of the full student population.
The phased return applies to students from KG1 and KG2 through Cycle 1, Cycle 2 and Cycle 3, including Grade 12.
Schools have also been directed to establish five teams to oversee the return: school management, activities and events, parent communication, reception and support, and security and safety.
The teams will begin preparations before students arrive and remain involved throughout the opening days and beyond. Their duties include checking school facilities, ensuring safety measures are in place, coordinating transport, communicating with parents and organising activities to welcome students back.
The activities and events team, for instance, will be responsible for preparing event spaces and school facilities, including signage, safety equipment, classroom labels and building plans indicating where activities will be held.
The parent communication team will share positive messages with students and families about the return to school, along with guidance to help ensure a safe and organised start to the academic year.
Security and safety teams must ensure all approved procedures are in place, coordinate with bus-route supervisors to verify transport details and make sure student lists for each school bus are updated and approved.
Reception and support teams will coordinate staff, students and parents involved in back-to-school activities, prepare designated areas for new students and set up an organised space to receive parents.
The ministry has also called on schools to evaluate the phased return after it is completed. Schools will assess parents’ satisfaction with the reception campaign, gather feedback from students and submit reports detailing the activities conducted during the opening period.
Reduced school hours
Kindergarten students attending from Monday to Thursday will have school hours from 8.15am to 11.30am, amounting to three hours and 15 minutes each day. On Friday, their schedule will run from 8am to 11.30am.
For Cycle 1 students, schools can choose between two scheduling options. Under the first, students will attend from 7.15am to 11.15am from Monday to Thursday, followed by a Friday schedule from 7.10am to 10.30am.
The second option will run from 8.15am to 12.15pm from Monday to Thursday, with Friday hours from 8am to 11.30am.
Boys in Cycles 2 and 3 will attend school from 7.15am to 12.15pm during the four-day phased return, while their Friday schedule will run from 7.10am to 10.25am.
Girls in Cycles 2 and 3 will attend school from 8.15am to 1.15pm from Monday to Thursday, while their Friday schedule will run from 8am to 11.30am.
The framework outlines two possible models for distributing year groups across the four days of reduced hours. Only students assigned to a particular day will attend school, while the remaining year groups will stay home until their scheduled return.
The phased system will conclude on Friday, September 4, when all students return to school under the regular timetable.
